


In the Storm, At the End

by maplemarcher



Series: In the Dark, In the Rain [3]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Minecraft Story Mode
Genre: Axel talks about his feelings, Happy Ending, He's not good at it but he's trying, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Season 1 Episode 4, Sick Character, genderfluid Jesse, implied Jesse/Petra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-18 14:03:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18251324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maplemarcher/pseuds/maplemarcher
Summary: You never know when your time might run out, especially during the end of the world. It's always best to tell someone what they mean to you when you have the chance.For Axel, it's not that simple.





	In the Storm, At the End

**Author's Note:**

> This was my favorite story in the series to write. It also happens to be the last one! I hope y'all enjoy!!

     The past few days are a blur. Days? Weeks? Axel doesn’t know.

     His hero is dead. Petra is sick. Gabriel has amnesia. Ellegaard is heartbroken. Soren’s bomb didn’t work. One Wither Storm has turned to three. The Order of the Stone is more broken than it was before. Everything seems hopeless. 

     Axel’s sitting in the small cave they’ve holed themselves up in, his head in his hands. It feels like they’re back to square one. Just when everything seemed like it was going to be alright, just when he thought they’d saved the world, the apocalypse came knocking again. Magnus’ death is in vain. Everything they’ve done is meaningless. He wracks his brain for something,  _ anything  _ that could stop this.

     “Axel?”

     Axel looks up. Lukas is standing above him, his hands in his pockets. He looks tired. They all look tired these days. But there’s something else there too. There’s a certain spark of determination in his eyes.

     “Yeah?”

     “Can I uh, talk to you for a second?”

     “Yeah, sure dude.”

     Axel stands up, and he and Lukas go outside the cave. It’s beginning to snow lightly. The cold air is refreshing; it doesn’t do anything to solve any of their major problems, of course, but it helps Axel clear his head. They’re far enough away from the Wither Storm that the sky isn’t blacker than pitch. The moon is bright, and the stars are a comfort.

     Lukas sits down on the edge of the cliff, letting his legs dangle over the side. He pats the ground next to him, and Axel accepts the invitation. The ledge is small enough that they have to be pressed against each other or risk falling off. Neither of them say anything. Axel is savoring this moment, internalizing and memorizing it in the event that everything ends. He wants to go out thinking about his friends. He wants to go out thinking about Lukas.

     “I can’t believe Gabriel is alive,” Lukas says.

     “I was always hoping,” Axel says. “I mean, he  _ is  _ the greatest warrior ever, right? If the Ender Dragon couldn’t take him down, what could?”

     “Right,” Lukas chuckles. It doesn’t take long for his smile to fade and his brow to crease the slightest bit. He always looks like this when he’s deep in thought.

     “What’s up?” Axel asks.

     “I was just thinking...Gabriel’s alive. All those people who got caught in the storm were alive too.” He looks up, the spark Axel had seen in his eyes turned into a raging fire. “That means the rest of the Ocelots could still be out there.”

     “They could be, yeah,” Axel says slowly. He doesn’t like where this is going. They’ve lost so much.  _ He’s  _ lost so much. His home, the person he looks—well,  _ looked _ up to the most in the world, and he might lose one of his best friends to a sickness none of them know how to stop. He can’t lose this too.

     “I have to find them, Axel.”

     “Why?” Axel hates the desperation in his voice.

     “Look, I know they’re not the greatest people in the world,” Lukas sighs. “But they’re my friends. They always have been. I can’t just abandon them. I can’t sit by and do nothing while everyone else saves the world.”

     “Lukas, come on,” Axel says weakly. He doesn’t have anything to say. He knows there’s nothing he can do to make Lukas stay, but that’s what he wants more than anything.

     “If I’d done something when this started, Petra might not be sick. Gabriel might still have his memories,” Lukas continues. “I need to do this. They could need me.”

     “We  _ do  _ need you,” Axel protests. He doesn’t say the slight twist on those words that’s sitting on the tip of his tongue. He can’t.

     “Wouldn’t you do the same thing if it was your friends out there?” Lukas says. “If you thought Jesse, Olivia, and Petra were dead for a long time, but then you found out there was a chance they were alive, wouldn’t you want to find them?”

     Axel sighs. “Alright, alright, fine. You got me.”

     “I figured you wouldn’t want me to go,” Lukas admits. He takes Axel’s hand in his own. His skin is always warm, but it feels burning in the night’s chill. “But I didn’t want to leave without saying anything to you.”

     Axel doesn’t respond. He just wraps Lukas in a tight embrace. Lukas leans into him as he returns it, burying his face in his chest. They don’t let go of each other for a long moment. Axel looks out at the horizon, where he can see streaks of purple cutting into the sky. The thought of Lukas out there, alone, with that thing not too far behind, makes him sick to his stomach.

     “You’ve gotta promise me you’ll be safe,” he says quietly.

     “I will,” Lukas says.

     “No, no, you have to  _ promise. _ Cuz if you die I’m going to kick your ass.”

     Lukas smiles slightly. “Okay, okay. I promise I’ll be safe.”

     “Good.” Axel kisses him deeply before studying his face, committing it to memory. There are snowflakes clinging to Lukas’ light eyelashes, and his cheeks are rosy from the cold.

     “I’ll find you again,” Lukas says. He smiles before adding, “I promise.” He kisses Axel one last time and gets on one of the horses, riding away into the night. Axel watches until he’s out of sight.

     When he goes back in the cave, it’s quiet. Everyone is surrounding Gabriel and Ellegaard, telling him stories of the adventures of the Order of the Stone in an effort to get some of his memories back. Everyone, that is, except Petra. She’s sitting in a corner furthest from the entrance, Reuben’s head in her lap as she scratches his head with her good arm. Purple and black lines are crawling up her other, their reach starting to dip under the hem of her sleeve. Axel has a feeling that if it reaches her heart, she’ll—he doesn’t want to finish that thought.

     “Hey,” he says as he sits next to her.

     “Hey bud,” Petra says. Even though her voice is week, she still sounds as casual and cool as ever. “How you feeling?”

     “How am  _ I  _ feeling?” Axel says. “I should be asking you that.”

     “You know how I’m feeling,” Petra replies dryly. “But you look like you have something on your mind.”

     “Not really,” Axel lies. He scratches behind Reuben’s ears, avoiding looking Petra in the eye. He can feel her gaze boring into him.

     “You’ve never been the best at lying,” she says. “Look, even Reuben can tell.” Reuben twitches one ear and snorts as if in confirmation. Axel can’t help but smile. He loves this pig.

     “Alright, maybe I do,” he says. “But who wouldn’t with all the shit that’s happening?”

     “That’s fair.” Petra pauses their conversation to have a coughing fit, her hacking shaking her entire body. “Is it about anything in particular?”

     “Come on, Petra, you know I suck at talking about my feelings.”

     She raises an eyebrow. “Feelings?”

_      Oh shit.  _ “Uh, not those kind of feelings. Just like...feelings. You know. Emotions. In general. Not about anything specific.”

     “Who are these nonspecific feelings about?”

     Axel should’ve known she’d figure it out. Petra can read him like a book. Even so, he keeps denying. “No one.”

     Petra doesn’t say anything. She just looks at him, one eyebrow still raised, utterly unimpressed. Axel sighs in defeat. This isn’t the worst outcome anyway; if he can talk to anyone about this, he can talk to Petra. She doesn’t judge, and she’s willing to give advice that some would consider a little harsh. Besides that, she knows Lukas the best out of all of them.

     “Fine, it’s about someone,” Axel concedes. He hesitates before mumbling, “Lukas, actually.”

     “Really?” Petra says, though she clearly isn’t surprised. “I definitely had no idea.”

     “Shut up, yes you did,” Axel says.

     “Okay, yeah, I did,” Petra admits. “I’m probably the only one though, so don’t be worried about that. Everyone else is too busy worrying about me to notice stuff like that.”

     “What did you notice exactly?”

     “The two of you making heart eyes at each other when you thought no one was looking.”

     Axel scratches the back of his neck, his cheeks burning. Yeah, he’s definitely done that.

     “That’s enough about my amazing observational skills,” Petra says. “What’s going on with you and Lukas?”

     “That’s, uh, kind of a long story,” Axel mumbles. He tells her anyway, giving her a brief summary of the situation while leaving out the more...intimate parts.

     “So what’s the issue, exactly?” she asks when he’s finished.

     “I don’t know,” he says. “That’s literally the issue. I don’t know what I want from any of this.”

     “Well, it sounds like you care about him,” Petra says with a shrug. She goes back to giving attention to Reuben, who has moved from her lap to Axel’s.

     “I think I do,” Axel says quietly. “I’ve...never felt like this about anybody. It’s not like a cheesy romance novel where I think he’s completely flawless or something stupid like that.”

     “You like him even with those flaws, right? You wouldn’t change him?”

     “Well, yeah. He wouldn’t be Lukas otherwise.”

     “Sounds like love to me.”

     “Woah woah woah— _ love?  _ That’s—no way. I’ve only really gotten to know him over a couple weeks.”

     Petra shrugs. “Sometimes that’s all it takes. And besides, being in a super stressful situation with anyone makes you build relationships faster. Don’t you feel closer to everybody than you did before this whole mess happened?”

     Axel’s silent. He knows he cares about Lukas. He’d come to terms with that a while ago. But love? Is it possible to love someone you’ve only known for a short time? Even if he does love him, it’s not on a super deep level. Not yet. He doesn’t even know when Lukas’ birthday is, doesn’t know his favorite color or how he likes his coffee. The more Axel thinks about it, the more he finds he wants to learn those things about him. He wants to know Lukas— _ really  _ know him. Right before he left, he’d had to bite back the words that he’d wanted to say.

_      I need you. _

     “I’m just saying,” Petra continues. “Think about it. And if you figure it out, say something before it’s too late.” She glances at Jesse before looking back at him. “You never know when your time might run out.”

     Axel doesn’t get time to think about it. The Wither Storm is on their doorstep  _ again  _ not too long after his talk with Petra. Ivor has shown up out of the blue, saying that he has a way to break the command block and destroy the Wither Storm once and for all. He’s also explaining that the storm keeps finding them so quickly because it’s programmed to follow the amulet, and Jesse is explaining the plan to lure the storms to Soren’s fortress and then destroy them with the weapon Ivor has. They’ll have to travel a long way for this plan to work, and they won’t be safe as long as they have the amulet.

     Axel knows what he has to do.

     “I’ll take it.”

     Jesse looks up at him, their eyes full of concern. The glow from the amulet is illuminating their face in different colors. “Axel, are you sure?”

     “Of course not,” Axel replies.

     “You’ll have three Wither Storms chasing you wherever you go! You can’t!” Olivia protests.

     “If things get too intense, I’ll duck into the Nether or something. I have to do this,” Axel says. “I’m tired of being the selfish one.”

     Axel’s always the one who takes what he wants, regardless of the consequences. He’s spiteful and petty and rude sometimes, but he wants that all to change. He wants to be a hero. He wants to help his friends, even if it means putting himself in danger. He wants to do what Lukas would do. So, he pockets the amulet, does his handshake with Jesse, makes sure Petra and Ellegaard are alright in the cave, and heads in the opposite direction of his friends. He knows he has to go to Soren’s fortress eventually, but the first thing he has to do is get the Wither Storms as far away from his friends as possible.

     “Alright universe,” Axel says to himself, “you better pay me back big time for this.”

     The days he’s on the run from the storms aren’t fun ones. They’re always behind him, always lurking just closely enough that he can’t relax. He goes into the Nether to sleep. He keeps track of the days by making nicks in a twig with his knife. There aren’t many people he meets along the way, but he helps the ones he does encounter. Food, first aid, directions out of the forest, whatever they need. The travellers always thank him profusely and give him what supplies they can spare.

     There isn’t a lot of time to think now. Not when Axel is running for his life every second of the day. He knows he could move more slowly, be more reckless, but he doesn’t want to risk it. He wants to see his friends again. He wants to see these things destroyed. He wants to be able to rebuild his life once everything is over.

     He thinks he wants Lukas in it.

     After two weeks, Axel thinks he’s given the others enough time to get to the Far Lands and start on their way back. It takes him a few days to find his way back to Soren’s fortress, and when he does, he ventures deep into its depths and hides. He can hear the storm outside, its roars shaking the stone of the mountains. He dares to venture outside in the mornings, checking for the others. After the third day he has no choice but to leave the fortress; there’s hardly any of it left, and if he stays another night, the Wither Storms might suck him up with the rest of it. Jesse and the others show up that day. Jesse’s wielding the most awesome axe he’s ever seen, and they’ve brought him armor.

     The plan goes smoothly for a while. Jesse, Axel, Olivia, and Reuben are getting the endermen to chase them into the tractor beams and tear apart the main Wither Storm. The hole is big enough to get through. They’re ready. Just as the three of them are about to start building, Axel’s enveloped in purple light.

     “Axel!” Olivia cries desperately. She jumps up and grabs him by the ankle, but it’s no use. She’s starting to be pulled in too.

     “No!” Jesse shouts. They wrap their arms around Olivia’s legs and tug desperately. Reuben’s biting their pant leg and tugging. Jesse’s hands are slipping. “I can’t...I can’t hold on!”

     “I’ve got you!”

     He’s there. Lukas is sprinting towards them, the other Ocelots not too far behind. Axel’s heart feels like it’s going to burst. He’s alive. He’s safe. He’s  _ there.  _ The Ocelots set off fireworks rockets, drawing the attention of the Wither Storm. Axel, Olivia, and Jesse all fall in a heap on the ground, winded but safe.

     “Lukas, thank you!” Jesse exclaims.

     “Anything for a friend,” he replies.

     Axel yanks off his helmet and throws it to the ground. Olivia says something to him, but he doesn’t hear. He sweeps Lukas off his feet and kisses him. He vaguely hears the others react in shock, but that’s not important right now. All that matters is Lukas’ lips on his, Lukas’ hands in his hair, Lukas pressed against him, Lukas, Lukas,  _ Lukas.  _ They only break apart when they need to gasp for air. Lukas is positively  _ beaming  _ up at him, his eyes bright and warm and sparkling. Axel returns his blinding smile and sets him back on his feet before turning to the others.

     “Let’s hurry up and build this thing!” he says.

     “We’re talking about that later!” Jesse says. Axel just laughs.

     They build the rocket minecart as fast as they can, and Jesse launches into the storm. Axel watches them disappear with nothing but confidence. They can do this. He knows they can. The storm roars, its tendrils flailing wildly. With the sickening sound of enormous bones cracking, it turns its many heads inwards. There are no more tractor beams, no more thrashing tentacles—just the Wither Storm floating ominously still in the sky, the world around it as silent as death.

     Olivia turns to Axel once they’ve all stared up at the monstrosity above them for a moment. “Care to tell us where the hell  _ that  _ came from?”

     “Remember when I went to find Lukas that first night?” Axel says sheepishly.

_      “That long?!” _

     Axel laughs and looks at Lukas. He seems to be having a similar conversation with the Ocelots. He’s blushing and rubbing the back of his neck and they’re all staring at him with open mouths. Aiden looks particularly baffled. Something about that makes Axel feel satisfied with himself. Lukas’ eyes meet his own, still full of that same warmth. It makes Axel’s heart  _ soar. _

     “Told you I’d find you again,” Lukas says as he walks over to him. He takes both of Axel’s hands in his own, lacing their fingers together.

     “I never doubted you,” Axel says, grinning.

     “Nice armor by the way,” Lukas says. “Did you get it from Ivor’s place?”

     “I didn’t go.”

     “Then where  _ did  _ you go?”

     Axel takes the amulet from his pocket. “The storm was made to track this. When everyone else went to the Far Lands, I took this to keep it off their tails.”

     “You let yourself get chased by  _ three Wither Storms?  _ For how long?”

     “A little over two weeks. I was tired of always being the one who ran away. I wanted to do something to help, even if it meant putting myself in danger.”

     “Take off your helmet so I can kiss you again, you  _ idiot,”  _ Lukas says. Axel grins and does as he asks. He keeps the helmet in his hand this time.

* * *

 

     The storm finally passes.

     It doesn’t just pass—it  _ explodes,  _ chunks of it flying across the countryside and creating craters where they fall. Axel fears the worst when he doesn’t see Jesse. He and the others search frantically, calling out their name. They finally find them climbing out of a pool of water, dripping wet and bleeding and asking for Reuben. Reuben’s not too far away. He missed the water when he fell. It isn’t pretty. Jesse holds him as he breathes his last, tears pouring down their face.

     The world is saved, the threat gone, but the work is far from done. So many people have had their lives destroyed, lost loved ones, lost their homes. Everywhere they go reeks of loss. They travel around, seeking out survivors and ridding the world of every trace of the Wither Storm. Any part of it they find is burned and the ashes left to be blown away by the wind.

     Ellegaard finds them again, with Petra in tow—sickness free. When Jesse sees Petra, they run to her and hold her in a tight embrace. Axel isn’t far behind, and soon all of them are holding her in a group hug, her half-hearted protests muffled by the sheer number of people holding her. Axel catches Petra and Jesse walking off together once they let her go, hand in hand, and he smiles.

     It takes a few weeks, but the world is starting to heal. The site of their old home has been reduced to bedrock, so they find a new place to rebuild. The people turn to Jesse for guidance. The new town being built is named Beacontown. An actual beacon is built, meant to draw stragglers looking for a place to start a new life. Jesse starts work on a memorial for Reuben. Axel and the others help build the town. It’s tiring, but rewarding.

     Axel’s sitting atop the beginnings of a wall, looking up at the stars. It’s been so long since he’s felt at peace. The moon is full, providing him with ample light to see the land surrounding the town. It looks like the Wither Storm never even happened. The grass is lush and green, the trees stand tall, and the sky is an incredibly deep blue rather than the impossible blackness that had followed the monster wherever it went. Some nights Axel swears he can still hear its roar echo across the sky, but not tonight. Tonight, all he can hear is the crickets.

     “There you are.”

     Axel turns to see Lukas climbing up the ladder on the scaffolding. “Hey. How’d you know I was up here?”

     “Jesse said you might be,” Lukas replies as he joins him.

     “How are they holding up?” Axel asks.

     “They’re sad, but I think they’ll be okay,” Lukas says.

     “That’s good.” Axel sighs. “I miss the little guy.”

     “Me too. Reuben’s memorial is really coming along, though. It’s going to be beautiful once it’s finished.”

     “Cool.”

     They sit in comfortable silence. Axel wraps his arm around Lukas’ waist and brings him closer. Lukas smiles up and him and rests his head on his shoulder before looking back out towards the horizon. Axel’s never felt so content. Moments like this are what he was fighting for. What they were all fighting for.

     “It’s nice to see the world going back to normal,” Lukas says.

     “Definitely,” Axel agrees. “Everybody’s gonna get a chance to rebuild.”

     “It’s almost like starting your life from scratch.”

     “Yeah. Any ideas what you want for yours?”

     Lukas smiles. “I’m going to start writing that book. About our adventures. And I’ll be sure to only tell the truth. What about you?”

     “I’m not really sure,” Axel admits. He sits up a bit so he can look at Lukas while he talks. “I know one thing I definitely want in it though.”

     “Oh yeah? Enlighten me,” Lukas says. Axel smiles and cups his jaw in one hand, stroking his cheekbone with his thumb.

     “You,” he says softly.

     “Sounds good to me,” Lukas whispers with a smile before kissing him.

     Axel’s never felt so warm.

**Author's Note:**

> And so ends my little Lukaxel series! I had a lot of fun with it! Thank you so much for reading <3


End file.
